Easy Coconut Chicken Curry – a 15 Minute Meal

Busy weeknights? Weekdays? Every day? Here’s an easy, delicious Coconut Chicken Curry recipe that is ready in under 15 minutes and makes your whole family happy. Plus, it’s a one-skillet meal, so there’s almost no cleanup! 

Last week, I shared a 10 Minute Spanish Rice and Chorizo Skillet. This week, I’m sharing another 15 minute skillet meal with you; something similar, but so very, very different.

When I got my first teaching job, I lived in a medium sized college town in the middle of nowhere. There weren’t a ton of places to eat, but there was an amazing Thai place. That Thai restaurant gave me my love of Thai food, and now I can’t get enough of a good curry.

But a curry featuring rice or noodles takes a long time to make, simply because rice and noodles take a long time to cook on their own. If you can make the rice more quickly, you can make a good curry in just a few short minutes.

So here we go! Easy, quick Coconut Chicken Curry, ready in about 15 minutes and as delicious as any you’d find at your favorite Thai place!

15 Minute Coconut Chicken Curry – the Ingredients

Note: I used all fresh veggies, because it’s farmers market season and I can find great veggies at great prices. But when veggies aren’t in season, or to save time, you can use frozen vegetables. They’ll be a little less crisp, but still good!

Gather your ingredients to make your curry. You’ll need: 1 lb chicken breast; a can (15 oz) of baby corn, drained; 1 bell pepper; a pouch of Ready-to-Eat coconut (or plain) rice; 1 head of broccoli; a 12 oz jar or pouch of curry sauce; 4 large carrots, peeled; 2 cups of fresh snow or snap peas, ends trimmed; and 8 oz. fresh mushrooms OR a 4 oz. can of water chestnuts.

Make sure you thoroughly wash all your veggies.

Making the Coconut Chicken Curry Skillet

1. Dice your chicken into 1 inch pieces.
2. Wash and dice all of your veggies. No need to put them in separate bowls; you’re going to dump them altogether anyway.
3. Add your chicken and 1 tbsp of oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the chicken until it is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Stir and toss frequently. 
4. Remove your chicken to a plate. Add remaining oil and veggies to the skillet. Toss veggies to coat with oil, then cover skillet with lid. Steam about 3-5 minutes, until veggies are crisp-tender. 
5. Remove lid carefully, angling it away from you to direct the steam away from your face. 
6. Use your fingers to break up and separate the rice in the pouch. Then tear the pouch open and pour rice into the skillet. Add chicken and stir everything together.
7. Pour curry sauce into the skillet and mix thoroughly. Heat for a minute or two, stirring twice to heat through.
8. Serve straight from the skillet. Top with Yum-Yum sauce for extra deliciousness!

Finding Coconut Rice Pouches

The only ready-to-eat coconut rice pouch I’ve found is Lundberg Family Farms, and you can only get it at Whole Foods. If you stop by WF, stock up on these and their other two varieties – Spanish rice and tumeric rice – because they’re amazing. And they’re perfect for quick, easy skillet meals. 

If you can’t find coconut rice, you can use plain rice. You could also add a bit of shredded unsweetened coconut or coconut milk to the rice to add flavor as well. It’ll be delicious no matter how you do the rice. 

The BEST Packaged Curry Sauces

I’ve made this skillet with two different sauces, and I’ve loved them both. I’ll recommend them both to you, and you can try whichever fits your tastes better. The first one I used was Trader Joe’s Green Curry Sauce. It is pretty spicy, very creamy, and ridiculously good. The only problem was I couldn’t feed it to my 18 month old toddler, because he’s pretty sensitive to spicy food. Plus, I don’t live near a TJ’s, so it’ll be awhile before I can stock up on more.

The second time I made this skillet, I tried it with Saffron Road’s Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce pouch. Oh my goodness, it is so, so good. This curry sauce is creamy, mild – not spicy at all, and absolutely coconut-y dreamy yumminess. It was also perfect for my son to eat, too.

Which ever sauce you choose is the right one. There is no wrong choice. And you can try out other sauces, too; I just know I trust these two and their ingredients. 

If you make this Coconut Chicken Curry, please post a comment here! And if you post a picture on Instagram, tag me in it (@biscuitsandgrading)! I’d love to see your finished product!

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